


Learning To Say No

by Sashataakheru



Series: Lord Greg and His Boys AU [13]
Category: Taskmaster (UK TV) RPF
Genre: Begging, Bisexuality, Boundaries, Chains, Chastity Device, Cock Rings, Collars, Community: seasonofkink, Complicated Relationships, Consent, Consent Play, D/s, Kink Discovery, Kink Exploration, Kink Negotiation, Kneeling, M/M, Master/Servant, Nipple Play, Obedience, Orgasm Denial, Ownership, Paddling, Polyamory, Praise Kink, Saying no, Service Kink, Spanking, Submission, Touch, fantasies, negotiation, pain play, retraints, ropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 17:43:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20451038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru
Summary: Alex is very good at saying yes. Greg wants to teach him to say no.





	Learning To Say No

**Author's Note:**

  * For [likecharity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/likecharity/gifts).

> Written for my free kink square (consent play/negotiation) for seasonofkink round 6, 2019. [My card and fills are here.](https://3evilmuses.dreamwidth.org/84704.html)
> 
> This is sort of based on a convo I had with likecharity about Greg trying to teach Alex to say no to things he doesn't want to do and isn't enjoying, and not simply to just go along with everything Greg says because he feels he has to and can't say no.

The house felt strangely empty without Josh. Alex hadn’t expected that he would miss him, but he did. Despite his initial aversion to him, they’d come to be good friends, and Alex had loved having someone else on his floor with him. If he was honest, having Josh with him for a month had been just what he’d needed as he got used to the idea of being submissive. He could simply watch how Josh behaved as a submissive, almost shadowing him in a way, and it didn’t feel as scary as it had before, now that he could see how Greg handled his submissives and what might be expected of him.  
  
Greg had changed his schedule up as well, and now he was more of a proper valet than he used to be. Alex thought he might have protested it more, but it meant he got to kneel at Greg’s feet an awful lot more now, and he didn’t want to lose that. In fact, any time he was asked to wait for Greg, or to wait on him in any way, he was to kneel for him. Alex finally felt like this was what he’d always dreamed of. This was why he’d entered service. And to have Josh kneeling beside him, once they realised they liked each other, that was calming as well. Every now and then, Josh would reach for his hand, just to hold it softly, and Alex adored that kind of physical contact more than he could say.  
  
He hadn’t realised just how peaceful kneeling for Greg would be. It was like everything melted away and all he focused on was Greg and making him happy. Josh said that kind of headspace was what was known as subspace, and the fact that he so naturally dropped into it was something Josh was envious of. Josh had to work for it. It’s why he needed his collar. But Alex was like that all the time.  
  
Nothing sexual had happened between him and Greg yet, though. Alex wasn’t ready for that, even though he wasn’t really opposed to it. They had spent a lot of time talking about kink in the evenings together, which Alex did eventually get comfortable with. They’d also spent a couple of evenings in the playroom, where Alex was simply allowed to be curious and ask questions. There was still a lot he was unsure about, and he was still a little anxious of making this sexual, but he still wanted to be submissive. That, he knew for certain. He just needed to get his head around it.  
  
After all, this past month had made him think about a whole lot of experiences in his life that he had not thought about in this context before, but were absolutely kinky now that he looked back on them. Indeed, he was even willing to admit that while he had always been uncomfortable with Rachel’s wife Sarah telling sordid tales at parties about her life as a dominatrix, he had always tended to have, well. Kinky dreams about those stories for at least a week afterwards. He’d always been scared of those dreams, but now he was curious.  
  
Not that he’d brought any of that up with his wife when he’d been sent home for a few days off the day after Josh arrived. He had planned to tell her, but all the words got stuck in his throat and all he managed to tell her was that there might be something between him and Greg, but he wasn’t sure, and wanted to let her know while he explored that with him. She was a little cautious, because Greg was, after all, Alex’s boss and she didn’t want Alex to throw his job away if it all went wrong. Alex did his best to reassure her that it wouldn’t be a problem, and that he knew what he was getting himself in for, and she did eventually give her consent for him to play with Greg. Not that he called it that. He wasn’t ready to talk about that with her yet because he had a sneaking suspicion that she’d like it too much, and so would he.  
  
But he didn’t want to think about that right now, because now he was back in the playroom, kneeling at Greg’s feet, far away from his wife, and he felt both safe as well as apprehensive. He loved kneeling for him. But this wasn’t just about kneeling. This was about figuring out what he even liked. What turned him on. He felt he should know his own desires by now, but he really didn’t. He didn’t know what he liked because he’d never felt it was important. As long as his wife was happy, he was happy. But Greg wasn’t going to accept that. Alex should be getting pleasure out of this too. That was a thought he was still coming to terms with.  
  
Greg stroked his hair gently. “Alright, Alex, I promised I’d go slowly, and I mean that. And the first thing I really want to teach you is how to say no, because I know you’ll struggle with that. I can’t read minds. I can’t always read body language well. I might not be able to tell if your protests are genuine or not. If we’re doing something and you’re not enjoying it, you need to be able to tell me, and I need to trust that you’ll tell me to stop as well. Consent isn’t a one-time thing, it’s ongoing, and it can and should be withdrawn if you’re not having fun. There’s no shame in hitting your limits, or not enjoying something you thought you’d like. You won’t be disappointing me. You won’t be disobeying me. And, because I know you really need to hear this, you won’t be putting your job at risk if you say no to me. Your job does not hinge on you being my submissive. This is all optional. This is all your choice whether you want to do this or not. Do you really understand that, Alex?”  
  
Alex did need to hear that. Greg had said it before, of course, but he always needed reminding. Alex thought it might be a while before he could really separate everything out though. He hadn’t quite grasped how to compartmentalise in this house just yet. Whatever happened, this was always going to get really complicated because they lived together, and it was just one master and one servant, and that was it. Intimacy came with the job description, particularly now that he was much more of a valet than an ordinary servant and personal care, such as washing and dressing his master, was something he did every day now.  
  
But it wasn’t just that. Even after only two months here, Alex already knew so much about Greg, things he was sure no one else would ever know. He was, after all, the one making the bed, and emptying the bins, and doing the laundry, and managing his diary and a lot of his admin. He sometimes felt like he knew his masters far better than he knew his wife. He’d always felt it was very strange to be given such a deeply private insight into someone’s life, to be trusted with all this detritus and the confidence that he wouldn’t divulge his master’s secrets.  
  
“I understand that, sir,” Alex said. “I know I don’t need to do this, but I want to. I want to do this. I want to understand why I’m like this. I want to understand myself.”  
  
“That’s good. I’m glad you still want it. I was half afraid you’d get to this point, once Josh’s left, and run away from it. But I’m glad you’re still keen. I think you’d really benefit from this. Now, do you understand why we’re starting with saying no? You might think this is basic, that it’s beneath you, but you feel compelled to obey me already whether you really want to or not, and don’t you look at me with those big eyes of yours, I know when you don’t want to obey. You can’t fool me like that,” Greg said.  
  
“I’m so sorry, sir.” Alex bowed his head. He didn’t know he’d been that transparent, but of course Greg would know how to read him. He’d had so many boys and servants, after all, whereas Alex had no idea what he was doing.  
  
“Don’t apologise for that, Alex, you’re still learning! I’ve got so much I can teach you if you’re willing to go along with this. Do you want to know how I know when you don’t really want to obey me?” Greg said.  
  
“Yes, sir, please? What am I doing wrong?” Alex said.  
  
“It’s not wrong at all, Alex. It’s just a tell. You’re probably not even aware you’re doing it, but I’ve seen it often enough that I just knew what it was when I saw it in you. It was just this little imperceptible hesitation, that’s all. It’s the kind of hesitation that’s full of reluctance, where I can see you fighting your instincts to obey in your eyes. It’s subtle, but I know it when I see it. And this is why we’re learning to say no today, because I can’t have that in a submissive. This is as much about making you feel good as it’s about making me feel good, yeah? So if one of us isn’t having a good time, just like with any other kind of sex, it needs to stop. And if you’re the one who’s no longer enjoying it, you have to be able and willing to say no to me so we can stop and talk about what's not working and whether we can fix or change it so we're having fun again. So, tonight, we’re going to practice saying no, alright?” Greg said.  
  
“Alright. So, I mean, is this just about safewords then? Or..?” Alex trailed off, unsure he really understood, but feeling brave enough to ask.  
  
“Safewords during a scene will come into it, yes, but we’ll cover that later, I think. Safewords aren’t the only way consent comes into kink play though. It's also about when we're negotiating a scene together. Remember how I told you about those and how important, and sexy, they can be?" Greg said.  
  
"Oh, yes, I remember. It's - you said it's like foreplay?" Alex said, unsure, but willing to go along with it.  
  
"Yeah, it is. It's like you're sitting there together, planning out what you want to do with each other, and God, there's nothing hotter than planning out sex, man. There's nothing like the desire on a boy's face when he's telling me how he wants me to fuck him up. Or how they wilt so beautifully when I tell them what I want to do to them instead. Fuck, it's so hot. It's the begging, I think. I really love it when they beg. Would you beg for me? Could I keep you deprived for so long while you beg me endlessly to do that thing you really want me to do to you? How would you like that, Alex?" Greg said.  
  
Alex tried very hard not to look at Greg's crotch, because he could hear just in his voice how turned on he was, and it scared him as much as it thrilled him. He had no experience negotiating sex. He wasn't really aware there were different ways to have sex and that you could negotiate which ones you wanted to do. That you didn't have to do it the same way every time. Really, he just simply waited for his wife to be in the mood, and that was it, really. He’d grown used to just doing whatever she wanted, because sex was sex and it still felt good no matter what.   
  
He was thinking about that ostensibly so he didn't have to think about Greg's question. About begging. About how Greg might just deprive him of pleasure and make him beg like a dog to make him give in. Something about that made him shiver, and he didn't really understand why. But it seemed to turn him on, too, which he didn't understand, either.  
  
"Are you not answering because you're still thinking about it, or because you're avoiding thinking about it?" Greg said, grasping his head a little roughly, and that brought Alex a weirdly pleasurable sensation too, which he decided not to think about as well.  
  
Alex swallowed. "B-both, sir."  
  
"Fuck. I wonder if I can find something you're not turned on by," Greg said.  
  
Alex felt his cock get hard at the sound of Greg's voice as he spoke, and he hadn't expected to simply be turned on by his voice, but apparently he was. There was desire in that voice - desire for him. For Alex. He'd forgotten what it felt like to be desired, to be wanted. To have someone look at him like they wanted to fuck him senseless. It was the kind of thing that made him blush quite deeply with embarrassment, and with his own desire.  
  
"Because that's part of it too, you know. It's not just saying yes to things, it's saying no. I want you to be able to say no if I suggest something while we’re negotiating a scene that you think you won’t like, or don’t want to do. And, let's face it, it'll be far easier to make you say yes, so a no from you is going to sound quite hot indeed, because I'll know where your boundaries are. Like, say, I want you to strip for me right now and I’ll put some nipple clamps on you. What do you think about that? Do you want to try that?” Greg said, his voice all seduction and warmth.  
  
Alex had to brush away his desire from Greg's voice alone to think about his question. He liked the idea of it, but didn’t nipple clamps hurt, like, really badly? Maybe he wouldn’t like that. But he’d never tried it, so how did he know he didn’t like it? He knew almost nothing about what turned him on. How did he know he wouldn’t like nipple clamps if he didn’t try them?  
  
He was also getting his head around the idea that these might not just be purely intellectual ideas, but things _Greg would actually do with him_, and that made him shiver. There was something weird about being asked what he wanted to do that got him off-kilter a bit. But they’d talked about consent before already, and Alex knew that Greg didn’t want him to simply obey him no matter what. This had to be fun for him too. And the thought of being made to strip and have nipple clamps put on him did make him shiver in a way that seemed to feel pleasurable. He didn’t know why, but perhaps that would be fun.   
  
“I think I would like to try it, sir, yes please,” Alex said.  
  
“Good boy,” Greg said, gently stroking his hair.  
  
Alex didn’t think he’d be so thrilled at being called a good boy, but he was. He loved being obedient and good! He prided himself on being a good servant. And the praise from Greg made him feel good. He hadn’t expected he would be praised for this, but it made him more willing to get into it.  
  
“Now, what if I asked if I could strap you to the bench and paddle you? Would you want to try that?” Greg said, and there was just a hint of menace in his voice this time.  
  
Alex wasn’t sure about that one. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face that yet. The idea of being strapped down and paddled– it did make him feel a bit weird, but he wasn’t sure if it was a definite no or a maybe much later on kind of weird. His face must have showed how apprehensive he was, because Greg touched his cheek and knelt down before him as if he was trying to reassure him.  
  
“You can say no, Alex. That’s the point of this exercise. I’m trying to get a sense of where we might begin and what you’re interested in so I can start to work out how to test where your limits are, alright?” Greg said. “And we’re not going to try these out tonight either, in case you’re worried about that. You’re such a beginner to this that I don’t want to overwhelm you too quickly.”  
  
“Oh, no, that’s fine. Thank you. I’m not bad for saying no?” Alex said.  
  
“You’re only bad if you don’t say no when you know you should, Alex,” Greg said.  
  
“Then – then I don’t want to do that one. I don’t want to be paddled, sir,” Alex said.  
  
Greg smiled. "Alright, we won't do that one. It is a bit intense for a beginner, after all. You're a good boy for saying no. See? That wasn’t so hard, was it? We've got one boundary now. No paddling. Sometimes it feels really good to know what you don't want. It can sometimes be much more important than knowing what you do want."  
  
Greg just gently stroked his cheek. Alex loved that sensation so much. It was just so tender, and of course he loved being touched as well. Greg had a way of touching him that made him feel wonderful. He never wanted it to stop.   
  
“Do you like it when I touch you, Alex? Does it calm you down?” Greg said.  
  
Alex nodded. “Yes, please don’t stop, sir. I love the way you touch me.”  
  
“Of course you do. That’s part of my charm,” Greg said. "Go on, just sit comfortably. You don't need to kneel for me when I'm sitting down here with you.”  
  
"Oh, but I want to kneel, sir. I like kneeling for you," Alex said.  
  
"God, you really have a strong service kink, don't you? Jesus. It's been a very long time since I played with someone like you. There are so many things I can do with a service sub that I haven't been able to do in ages. Because apart from anything else, I know you'd be more willing to try those things with me," Greg said.  
  
"Oh? What kind of things?" Alex said, unable to imagine what those things were, but suddenly intensely curious about what they might be.  
  
“Well, for a start, what about collars? You said you’d gone to look at them, and I felt like you were interested when I brought it up before. Particularly when I suggested it could signify ownership. Is that something you'd like to try? Would you like to try wearing one for me?” Greg said.  
  
Alex was surprised that he hadn’t expected Greg to ask about that, but he was. He thought about the collars he’d seen and wondered what they’d feel like around his neck. Would they feel good or bad? Greg had said before that he didn’t think he needed one, but maybe he’d never know until he wore one? He knew Josh loved his, and perhaps it might help him compartmentalise if he only wore it when he was being submissive?  
  
“I think I would like that, sir, yes,” Alex said, and there was definitely something apprehensive – or was it sexual? – in his voice at the thought of being in a collar. Wearing Greg’s collar. Making it clear to the world that he was owned by Greg. Owned. Fuck. His dick got weirdly hard at that thought, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to face being owned just yet. He thought he might like it too much.  
  
“Good boy. I did wonder if you might be curious about that. Alright, what about being chained up? Not because you’ve done something wrong, just so you can really feel what that’s like. It’s really something to feel the weight of the chains holding you down. You might actually really enjoy that, but then again, maybe you won’t. Would you like to try that?” Greg said.  
  
The ‘yes, sir’ that immediately slipped almost breathlessly from Alex’s lips surprised him, but that, yes, that he was sure about. He needed to know how that would feel. He’d spent far too long thinking about being chained up. Already his arousal was beginning to make him uncomfortable, and he shifted a little on his knees, trying not to make it too obvious that he was feeling aroused. The fact that he was getting hard and doing so in front of his master was a bit of a trip, if he was honest. He was still getting used to the fact that it was okay, that it was something Greg encouraged in this situation. It was fine to be turned on, because that was the point of it.  
  
It was a strange feeling too, because this was so unlike how he normally experienced sex and sexual desire. Normally, it was just done and over with, and as long as Rachel was happy, that was fine with him. Either he wasn’t home often enough, or he was just too tired, to do anything more than that. Or, like the last few months, it was as often as possible whenever he was home because they were trying for another baby, and pleasure wasn’t always their main priority.  
  
But then it wasn’t the sex he really craved with her, but her touch. He really didn’t mind just cuddling with her before bed, because it was such a precious, rare thing for him to experience. The sex was just a bonus, if he was in the mood. But he didn’t need it, and she had her wife anyway, so he never felt like his pleasure was important.  
  
But this kind of arousal that Greg was inducing in him was lingering, teasing, and it was meant to make Alex aroused, that was the point of it. But he knew he wasn’t going to get any pay-off for this tonight. He’d have to wait. And maybe that was easier to do when he was living away from Rachel and there were no other distractions. But now, he was living with Greg, and he had a feeling Greg would be an awful, awful tease, and he was very much looking forward to it.  
  
“Well, I wasn’t expecting you to be that into it already, but at least that’s something I can work with. I guess you might like ropes too, yeah? Should we try ropes as well?” Greg said.  
  
Alex nodded quickly, his mind already filled with images of being tied down and restrained. He didn’t know why this was happening or why he felt so turned on by the idea, but he was pleased that he’d figured out something that he was into. He was beginning to get painfully hard now, and he just wanted to get his dick out and touch himself, but Greg hadn’t given him permission, so he simply knelt there, unwilling to disobey.  
  
“No, don't just nod your head. Say it, Alex. Beg for it. Tell me how much you want to try ropes,” Greg said.  
  
Something in Greg's voice really got him going then. Perhaps it was the command to beg for something he wanted. Greg was gently brushing his cheek with his fingers too, and it was all getting to him.  
  
"Please. Please, I want to try ropes. Tie me up, sir. I don't want to be able to move," Alex said, the words slipping from his mouth before he was conscious of what he was saying.  
  
Greg chuckled, the sort of low, soft laugh that made Alex guess he was happy. Pleased with him. And also planning something utterly devious to do to him at the same time.  
  
"Oh, you won't be able to move by the time I'm done with you, boy," Greg said.  
  
Alex couldn't respond. Lost his voice in all the seductive growl and mental images. Made an embarrassing noise instead. He'd never felt this turned on with no hope of pay-off before and it was really beginning to get to him now.  
  
"Did you like that, Alex? Did that turn you on?" Greg said.  
  
Alex nodded. Didn't dare speak. Didn't know what he'd say even if he tried. Greg simply cupped his cheek and stroked his face gently.  
  
“You're a very good boy, Alex. You're doing very well today. We've learnt a lot about the kind of things you like now, haven't we? And we've found at least one thing you don't like, so that's good, isn't it? That's better than what we had before," Greg said.  
  
"Yes, sir, very much so," Alex said. "Thank you, sir."  
  
"See? You do have desires, Alex. They were all right there in your head. It's just you never had anyone to draw them out of you before. I'm going to enjoy showing you just how good these things can make you feel," Greg said. "Now, and this might seem like it’s coming out of left-field, but now I’m wondering if you’d like to be bent over my knee and spanked. I could even tie your hands and feet to stop you moving first, if that would help."  
  
That fantasy made Alex shiver. It was kind of overwhelming to think about. He could see it in his mind, his body simply bent over Greg’s knee as he spanked him like a child when he was all tied up. It felt very right to him. But the very thought of being physically hurt scared him. He wasn't sure he was ready to face that yet, either. Given he wasn’t enthusiastically willing to try it, maybe he should say no again. That was how you were meant to know, right? When you weren’t sure?  
  
“I don’t – no, no, not yet, I don’t think, sir. Not yet,” Alex said.  
  
“Alright, fair enough. You’ve been a very good boy, Alex, and I'm very proud of you for being honest with me about these things. Maybe we’ll leave this here for now, now that we’ve got a small list to start with. Now, I’m going to go and write these down, so you can see what you’ve agreed to,” Greg said.  
  
“Oh, yes, alright, sir,” Alex said.  
  
Alex watched Greg leave him as he went to retrieve some paper and a pen from a drawer and sat down before him as he wrote out what he’d consented to, and also, Alex noted, what he’d said no to as well. He made two copies, one for each of them.  
  
“There, does that line up with what you’ve told me?” Greg said, showing him the list.  
  
Alex looked it over, and it did match. Greg had even made a note of how enthusiastic or caveated his choices were. He hadn't expected that level of detail. “Yes, that matches, sir. That’s what I agreed to.”  
  
“Good. Just sign it here next to my signature, just to make it formal. It's not the kind of formal contract I have with Josh, of course. This is just the beginnings of a kink list for you. Hopefully, by the time I'm through with you, you'll know exactly what your limits are and what you like and don't like," Greg said, handing him a pen.  
  
Alex signed it, appreciating the lengths he was going to for him. “So, what happens now? Do we…? I don’t know what we do now.”  
  
“Well, maybe you can take that list and think about what you’d like to try first. Maybe in a few days, we’ll sit down together and plan out a scene together. Would you like that?” Greg said.  
  
Alex inhaled sharply. “You- you want to play with me already?”  
  
“Of course I do. I’m inclined to suggest chains, since that was the one thing you had the most intense reaction to. Would you like that? Would you like me to bring you in here and simply chain you up to see how you like it?” Greg said.  
  
Alex nodded, overwhelmed by the images in his head. “Yes, please. I need – I want to know – yes, chains, that one, please.”  
  
“Alright, then we’ll do chains. Now, how are you feeling? Are you still hard?” Greg said, reaching over to press his hand against Alex’s groin. He smirked. “Yeah, still hard. And I bet this isn’t helping, is it? Maybe I won’t let you come tonight, but make you wait until I get you all chained up. You’ll be gagging for it by then, won’t you?”  
  
“Oh, no, please-“ Alex stopped as Greg squeezed him.  
  
“Yeah, I’m going to make you wait. I don’t want you touching yourself at all until we play again. I’m going to chain up that little cock of yours and make you feel incredible,” Greg said.  
  
Alex didn’t understand what he meant as he watched Greg get up and take one of the small chains from the wall and a small little lock. “Sir, what are you doing with that?”  
  
“Go on, get your cock out for me. I just want to tease you for a while,” Greg said, sitting back down in front of him.  
  
Alex obeyed, and watched in silent amazement as Greg put that little chain around his cock and balls and squeezed him until he went soft, just so he could get the tightness right so it wouldn’t fall off.  
  
“Just imagine how good that will feel when you have chains all over your body, and not just around your little cock,” Greg said. “Of course, now that cock belongs to me, so you’d better not touch yourself or there’ll be trouble, yeah?”  
  
Alex shook his head. “I won’t touch myself, I promise.”  
  
“Good boy. Now, off you pop, it’s nearly time for your nap, isn’t it? Don’t you have some work to do before you get me all tucked in?” Greg said.  
  
Alex hated, _hated_, him for saying that, but he was right. He did have more work to do, and he didn’t want to get behind. He was going to be left wanting, that much was clear, so he tried not to look too disappointed as he tucked his cock back into his pants and tidied himself up. The lock, though small, made its presence felt. It just made him hard again, which made the chain begin to dig into his skin ever so slightly. It was going to be a long few days before he had his release.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Waiting Impatiently](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20463929) by [Sashataakheru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru)


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